Sanitary closet



Oct. 23, 1934. P. H. EPLER 1,977,758

- SANITARY CLOSET Filed Aug. 9, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 23, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 8 Claims.

One important object of the present inventionis to provide an improved and sanitary arrangement, in such a closet, for bathing certain parts of the posterior portion of the body when desired.

A second important object of the invention is to effect such bathing by improved means operable from the exterior of the closet and arranged to direct a spray of water on the parts to be bathed.

A third important object of the invention is to provide means for introducing antiseptic into the flowing water.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide means for drying the cleansed parts with a streamof warm air.

A fifth important object of the invention is to provide means, associated with the air supplying means, for dusting the cleansed and dried parts with talcum or other powder, which may be an antiseptic, deodorant or perfumed powder or a powder having two or more of these qualities in combination.

A sixth important object of the inventon is to provide novel means for effecting the several operations of bathing, drying and dusting, which means is so arranged that these operations can only take place in the order named.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be presently set forth, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed. 1

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a closet constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section on the line 22 of Figure 1, of the upper part of, such a closet. I

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view, partly in diagram, showing an arrangement for successively performing the operations incident to this invention.

Figure 6 is a side view of the contact member shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a portion of the device showing a modified spray nozzle arrangement.

In the present embodiment of the invention there is provided a closet 10 having the usual seat 11 and tank 12 from which leads a flushing pipe 13 controlled by the usual valve 14. This valve 14 may be operated by a handle 15 as in Figure 1 or by a solenoid 16 as in Figure 5. A fan 17 preferably provided with a heater element 18 is located beneath one end of the tank 12 and is operatedby a motor 19 current to which is shown in Figure 1 as controlled. by a switch 20. From this fan leads a pipe 21 which extends across the bowl 10 at the rear part thereof and is preferably provided with hinge lugs 22 to which the hinges 23 of the seat are pivoted. A nozzle 24 extends forwardly from this pipe at the longitudinal center line of the bowl and serves to form an outlet for the air from the fan, the nozzle being directed to deliver a stream of warm air to the parts to be dried.

A branch pipe 25 leadsfrom the valve 14 and is revolubly connected to said valve in a watertight manner by a swivel joint 26 of the usual construction. This pipe 25 extends into the end of the pipe 21 and fits closely but revolubly in said end. The pipe 25 terminates opposite the nozzle 24 in a forwardly extending spray nozzle shown at 27 in Figure 2. A handle 28 is, in this form, fixed on the pipe 25 between the valve 14 and pipe 21 so that the pipe 25 may be oscillated to direct the spray to those parts which are desired to be cleansed. A receptacle 28 for liquid antiseptic is connected to the pipe 25 by a pipe 29 in which is arranged a valve 30. By this means antiseptic may be supplied to the wash water and the amount to be supplied may be controlled by properly positioning the valve 30.

Similarly, a' powder receptacle 31 is connected to the pipe 21 by a pipe 32 in which is a powder delivery valve 33 so that, with the air stream which is continued after the drying operation, there may be mixed a dusting powder so that the parts may be dusted with a toilet, antiseptic or deodorant powder after the parts are dried. While the valve 33 is shown in Figure 3 as manually operated it may be operated, as in Figure 5, by a solenoid 16.

In Figures 5 and 6 there is shown one meansv by which the operations are so controlled that they can be performed only in proper order. In the device here shown there is provided a base 35 whereon is mounted a contact arm 36 pivoted at the center of the base and provided with an operating knob or handle 37 by means of which it may be rotated to sweep over the base. The base is preferably of insulating material and may be attached to the side of the bowl 10 by screws 39. On this base is mounted a circular ratchet 40 which is engaged by a spring pawl 41 carried by the arm 36 so that the arm can be turned only in one direction as shown by the arrow A. Also three contact buttons 43 are mounted on the base at 90 apart, so as to be successively engaged by the contact arm, the position in which said arm is shown inFigure 5 being the normal or idle position of the arm, in which it is out of engagement with all buttons. The arm 36 is connected to a suitable source .of current such as the battery 44 by a wire 45, the remaining terminal of this battery being shown as grounded at 46. The first contact 43 is connected by a wire 48 with one terminal of the solenoid 16 which has its other terminal grounded at 49. The motor 19 has one brush grounded at 50 and the other connected by a wire 51 to the second contact 43. The third contact 43 is connected by one terminal of the solenoid 34 by a wire 52 and this solenoid has its other terminal connected to the wire 51 by a wire 53.

With this arrangement the rotation of the arm 36 successively closes circuits through the solenoid 16, the motor 19 and the solenoid 34 and motor 19. Thus the water valve is opened, the fan actuated for drying and the dusting powder valve is opened and the fan actuated for powder- In the modification shown in Figure 7 an elbow 54 is fitted on the terminal end of the pipe 21 and leads to a universal pipe joint 55 from which extends a bent or curved pipe 56 which normally lies at the side of the bowl 10 and is provided on its free end with a telescopically movable section 57 terminating in an upwardly projecting spray nozzle 58. An operating rod 59 is connected to the joint 58 and extends through a ball 60 mounted in a side wall of the bowl 10 for universal movement. By shifting the rod in or out the nozzle may be shifted laterally of the bowl while a combination of horizontal and vertical tilting movements of said rod effects desired forward and backward and up and down positioning of the nozzle so that the spray therefrom may be directed as desired.

In order to heat the water a heater coil 61 may surround the pipe 25 and be bridged across the circuit of the magnet 16 so that opening the valve 30 also effects heating of the water.

In certain cases neither the tank pressure nor the pressure in the supply pipe may be sufficient to give proper force to the water to insure its proper action. In such cases it is desirable to use the air blast to give force to the water so that a blast of air will mix with the water issuing from the jet nozzle and blow the water, which is somewhat atomized by the air blast, properly against the parts. To that end the water and air may be turned on simultaneously and in order to effect this with the means shown in Figure 5 the wire 48 is connected to the wire 51 by wire 62. In this case when the movable c ntact engages the flxed contact 43 the water valve 30 is opened and at the same time the motor 19 is energized so that water is admitted and caught in an air blast.

There has thus been provided a simple and efiicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material principles involved so that it is to be understood that all forms covered by the appended claims are claimed as the invention.

What is claimed, is:-

1. The combination with a closet bowl, of means to successively effect washing of desired portions of the body of a person seated on the bowl including a water delivery spray nozzle, means to deliver a blast of warm air against the washed parts and electrical controlling means for said water and air supply including a switch arm rotatable inone direction only and contacts respectively controlling the water and air successively engaged by the arm.

2. The combination with a closet bowl, of means to successively efiect washing of desired portions of the body of a person seated on the bowl including a water delivery spray nozzle, means to deliver a blast of warm air against the 'washed parts, and other means to deliver dusting powder to the air delivery means whereby to cause the air to carry the powder against the person.

3. The combination with a closet bowl, of means to deliver against a person seated on said seat a water .spray, a current of warm air and a current of air carrying dusting powder successively.

4. The combination with a closet bowl, of means to deliver against a person seated on said seat a water spray, a current of warm air and a cur-. rent of air carrying dusting powder successively, and operating means connected to the first means for causing successive operations of the first means in the order named.

5. The combination with a closet bowl, of means for directing a spray of water against exposed parts of a person seated on the bowl and includ-- ing a delivery pipe, a telescopic pipe in the bowl universally jointed to the delivery pipe, a terminal nozzle on said telescopic pipe, and an operating rod extending from the terminal joint of the telescopic pipe and. mounted on said bowl for longitudinal and universally oscillatory movements.

6. The combination with a closet bowl, of means to successively efiect washing of desired portions of the body of a person seated on the bowl including a water delivery spray nozzle, means to deliver a blast of warm air against the washed parts, other means to deliver dusting powderto the air delivery means whereby to cause the air to carry the powder against the person, further means connected with the nozzle for discharging disinfectant into the water flowing thereto and electrical means controlling the air, water and powder and including a switch arm rotatable in one direction only, and contacts respectively controlling the water, 'air and powder successively engaged by the arm.

to successively effect washing of desired portions of the body of a person seated on the bowl including a water delivery spray nozzle, and means to deliver a blast of warm air against the washed parts, the means to deliver air including a delivery nozzle surrounding the spray nozzle whereby water flowing from the spray nozzle may be entrained by the air blast.

8. The combination with a closet bowl, of means to successively efifect washing of desired portions of the body of a person seated on the bowl including a water delivery spray nozzle, means to deliver a blast of warm air against the washed parts, the means to deliver air including a delivwhereby to cause the air to carry the powder the person.

PERCY H. EPLER.

7. The combination with a closet bowl, of means 

